Air conditioner units are conventionally utilized to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditioner units may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. A typical such air conditioner unit includes an indoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor portion is generally located indoors, and the outdoor portion is generally located outdoors. Accordingly, the air conditioner unit generally extends through a wall, window, etc. of the structure.
In the outdoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, a compressor that operates a refrigerating cycle is provided. At the back of the outdoor portion, an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is disposed, and facing the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for cooling the outdoor heat exchanger is provided. At the front of the indoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, an air inlet is provided, and above the air inlet, an air outlet is provided. A blower fan and a heating unit are additionally provided in the indoor portion. Between the blower fan and heating unit and the air inlet, an indoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is provided.
When cooling operation starts, the compressor is driven to operate the refrigerating cycle, with the indoor heat exchanger serving as a cold-side evaporator of the refrigerating cycle, and the outdoor heat exchanger as a hot-side condenser. The outdoor heat exchanger is cooled by the outdoor fan to dissipate heat. As the blower fan is driven, the air inside the room flows through the air inlet into the air passage, and the air has its temperature lowered by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger, and is then blown into the room through the air outlet. In this way, the room is cooled.
When heating operation starts, the heating unit is operated to raise the temperature of air in the air passage. The air, having had its temperature raised, is blown out through the air outlet into the room to heat the room.
Further, conventional air conditioner units include a bulkhead which is positioned between the indoor portion and outdoor portion, and thus generally separates the components within the indoor portion from the components in the outdoor portion. Various components may additionally be connected to the bulkhead, such as the blower fan and heating unit.
In some cases, it may be desirable to allow outdoor air through the bulkhead into a room into which the air conditioner unit extends. Accordingly, many bulkheads include vent apertures for allowing such airflow. A filter may be positioned in alignment with a vent aperture of a bulkhead to filter the air flowing through the vent aperture. Further, a cover may be provided on the vent aperture. Manual removal of such cover may uncover the vent aperture and allow air flow therethrough, while manual replacement may restrict such air flow. It may be desirable, for example, to remove the cover when certain environmental conditions, i.e. certain temperatures or humidity levels, exist outdoors relative to indoor conditions, and to replace the cover when certain other environmental conditions exist outdoors relative to indoor conditions. Use of the vent aperture may provide energy efficiency under particular environmental conditions.
One issue with many known bulkheads and air conditioner units is the difficulty in accessing the vent aperture to, for example, manually remove and/or replace such covers. For example, in many cases, accessing a vent aperture may require that the internal components of the air conditioner unit are removed from the housing of the air conditioner unit, and particularly from the wall sleeve of the housing. Further disassembly of various of the internal components may additionally be required. Accordingly, the manually remove and/or replace such covers is a time-consuming and labor intensive procedure.
Accordingly, improved apparatus for opening and closing vent apertures associated with bulkheads in air conditioner units is desired in the art. In particular, apparatus which facilitate automated vent aperture opening and closing without requiring disassembly of the associated air conditioner unit would be advantageous.